Hunting Eve (23 page)

“I don’t care. I
have
to do it.”

“And have Joe rush back because you’re on the verge of collapse before you can even get to the airport? You’d be more of a burden than a help.”

That’s what Margaret had said, Jane remembered. She’d been angry at the words, but she’d had to admit their truth. The last thing she wanted to do was to get in the way of finding Eve because she was too weak to get out of the way. And she was having to admit the truth that Caleb was speaking, she thought in desperation.

“I’ll be okay. I won’t get in anyone’s way. We’ll just have to make sure they don’t tell Joe,” she said. “Just help me get
out
of here, Caleb. I’m not thinking too well right now, but you know how to manipulate the system. Look how you managed to get papers for Margaret. There has to be a way.”

Caleb didn’t speak for a moment.

“Yes, there’s always a way.” He added softly, “But you don’t usually like the ways I choose.”

“I don’t care. Get me out of here in a way that’s safe for Joe.”

He reached over and one index finger touched her damp lash. “I don’t like to see you this way. It … disturbs me.”

“It disturbs me that I have to ask for help. I’m doing it anyway. Help me.” She met his eyes. “Or I’ll help myself.”

“And that would disturb me even more.” His finger moved to her upper lip. “You’ll have problems. You’ll have to trust me. That’s against your nature. You’re sure?”

“Get me out of here.”

He nodded slowly. “Get into bed.”

“What?”

“You want out of here? The only way is to have a miraculous recovery and get the doctors to agree to dismiss you. That will appease Joe, and he won’t rush back. Agreed?”

“Yes,” she said warily.

“So get into bed.” He pulled her to her feet. “And we’ll get on with it.”

“On with what?”

“Your miraculous recovery.” He gently pushed her down on the bed. “What else?”

“We’re going to fool those doctors into thinking I’m well?”

“You have very good doctors, Jane. Quinn made sure of that before he left you here. They wouldn’t be fooled. They rely on medical science and experience.”

“Then what are—” Her eyes widened as he began unbuttoning her pajama top. “Caleb?”

“I told you that you wouldn’t like this.” His dark eyes were glittering, and his smile was reckless. “But you can stop me at any time. Maybe.”

“What are you doing?”

“Your miraculous recovery. I can give it to you. It may be temporary, but you’ll be well enough to get a free pass from the medical staff here.”

“What do you mean, you can give it to me?”

“Blood.” He carefully removed the bandage covering the wound in her shoulder. “It’s magic. We’re going to see if my blood in your veins will answer me if I call on it.” He unbuttoned his shirt. “I believe I can do it on my own, but the effect may be doubled. Wouldn’t that be interesting?”

“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.” But she couldn’t take her eyes from the corded muscles of his chest, the dark thatch of hair, the sheer masculine virility. “And I’m not sure I want to know.” He was coming toward her, and she instinctively tensed. “And I know the so-called magic blood stuff you seem to be able to pull off with your enemies. It’s fatal.”

“But that’s only with enemies. You’ve only seen my bad side.” He was standing next to the bed, and he reached out and touched the wound. “This is so ugly. It will be good to see it healed.”

She inhaled sharply.

Burning.

Skin tautening.

Deep explosion of tension.

“You like that?” His fingers gently rubbed around the wound. “Yes, I can see that you do.”

“Are you saying that you can cause that wound to heal?”

“No, I’m not a healer. But you can do it yourself.” He smiled. “With my help…”

“How … can I do it?”

“Send the blood to the wound. Blood is healing. As a matter of fact, medical facilities all over the world are experimenting with laser treatments to cause the blood to rush to injured areas of the body. They work very well.” He touched the wound. “But I’m much better at it.”

She gasped.

Not pain.

Heat.

Exquisite, flowing, heat.

“You see, that’s how it starts,” he said softly. “I touch, we touch, the flow begins. But it becomes very intimate, and that’s the part I can’t control. Because even without a physical joining, the mind can become obsessive and doesn’t want to release. All I can do is try.” He tilted his head. “But you’ll get what you want, Jane. If you’re not afraid to reach out and take it. Yes, or no?”

She stared at him. She didn’t underestimate anything he had told her. How could she when he had always been a mystery to her? When she had asked him for help, she hadn’t dreamed he would go down this dark path. Perhaps she should have, he had always been a figure of darkness and fire to her. Once she had even wanted to paint him surrounded by flames … She should probably tell him that she had changed her mind and that she’d work the problem out for herself.

But she wasn’t going to do it. He had said that he could give her what she needed, what Eve needed.

If Jane wasn’t afraid to take it. He had thrown that challenge at her, and through all the frantic desperation, it had sparked fire.

“Yes or no?” he repeated.

She held out her hand to him. “Yes.”

He smiled. “I thought so.” He moved her to the side of the bed. He kicked off his shoes and lay down beside her. “Remember, I gave you the choice.”

“What are you doing?” The warmth of his body next to her came as a shock. “Is this—It’s a hospital. What if someone comes in?”

“I’ll know if they’re coming. As Margaret would say, it’s part of the stalking instinct. Besides, it’s unlikely anyone will interfere. You’ve practically set up your office in here.”

“So … what do we do? What happens?”

“Relax, it’s already happening. It will take a while. But in a few hours, you’ll feel almost normal.” He spread his shirt aside and took her in his arms. “Almost…”

Her softness pressing against his hardness.

No, her breasts were not soft, the tips were hard.

She couldn’t breathe.

“It’s not easy for me either,” he murmured. He pulled her closer, enveloping her.

Flesh to flesh.

She was dizzy. Heat was surrounding her. Every nerve in her body was alive, crackling.

And everything, every sensation, was coming from him, pulling her toward him.

“Is this … are you telling me the truth, Caleb?”

“Mostly. I lied about its not being easy. I have a few masochist tendencies that permit me to enjoy it.”

“But about the rest?”

“You’ll be well enough to leave here by late afternoon. As I said, it’s not a permanent fix. If you don’t abuse yourself too much, you’ll be fine for a day or two.” His lips brushed her temple. “If you start getting weak, all you’ll have to do is come to me, and we’ll do this again. I’m at your disposal.”

“That’s not going to happen.”

“You can never tell…”

“And I won’t forgive you if I find out that you’re lying to me.”

“I wouldn’t dare.”

“Or twist it to suit yourself.”

“I would dare to do that. But how would you know whether it would work if I didn’t do exactly what I’m doing? That’s why it’s important that I have your trust.” He rubbed against her. “For instance, this is all part of the therapy. The tingling, sexual rush, and intense sensation is all beneficial.”

“Caleb.”

“Just a small lie. I don’t know if it is or not, but I thought we both deserved it.”

“I don’t want this.”

“Of course you do.” He laid his head on her shoulder, his cheek on the wound. She could feel both the smoothness and the faintest roughness. It was wildly erotic. “You want it as much as I do. But I have to concentrate on something less entertaining. I made you a promise.” His lips moved against the flesh of her shoulder. “Do you feel your blood surge against my mouth? I’m going to lie here and hold you, and the blood is going to flow and move and heat. Close your eyes and let it come to me.”

Come to him.

Her entire body was tinglingly alive and coming, surging, to him.

“Shh, not that, not yet.” His tongue touched the flesh of her shoulder. “Just give your body what it needs to heal. A few more minutes, and the heat will cause everything to blur, and the need will be gone for a while.”

She didn’t believe him. The need was too intense, too hot, the feel of him was too good. She instinctively moved closer.

“No. Later, anything you want. Not now.” His cheek rubbed back and forth against her breasts. “Feel your heart beat? It’s bringing the blood to every part of your upper body. But particularly where the wound is causing all that shock and trauma.” She shuddered as he licked delicately at her nipple. “Burning? Stomach muscles clenching? It’s all good, Jane.”

She drew a deep breath. “The hell it is.”

“It will have a good result.” His cheek was once more on her shoulder. “But the blur is coming. You can relax now.”

The blur.

The heat.

Dizziness and swirling intensity.

Relaxed …

The sexual need was still there, but it was like low-burning embers.

Everything was visible only through a red heat haze.

Blood haze?

It didn’t matter …

All she wanted to do was lie there with Caleb and let the haze surround her. But should she—

“Shh, it’s okay. Let go. I’ll bring you back when you’ve had enough…”

CHAPTER

11

JANE’S EYES FLEW OPEN,
startled.

“Don’t be afraid,” Caleb whispered. “It’s just time for you to start stirring. They’re starting to serve the meds. You don’t want any nurses bustling in here.”

“No.” Not with Caleb half-dressed and in bed with her. “How long was—”

“Long enough for you.” He sat up and carefully rebandaged her wound. “And not nearly long enough for me. Button your shirt. I’d do it, but I’m afraid you’ve been jarred out of intimacy.” He swung his feet to the floor, and his fingers began buttoning his shirt. “But it was quite an intimacy, wasn’t it?”

“Intimacy? I don’t know what it was,” Jane said as she hurriedly buttoned her shirt. “I’ve never felt anything like that before. I think you must have hypnotized me or something.”

“You said yes, Jane.”

“I know I did. I thought—I believed you when you said—” She looked at him. “Should I have believed you, Caleb?”

“Ask yourself that question. How do you feel, Jane?”

She thought about it. “Good, I think.” Her eyes widened. “No, very good. Normal.”

“High energy?”

“Yes.”

“Any pain in your shoulder?”

She moved her shoulder in a half shrug. “No pain at all.”

“Why don’t you take a look at the wound.”

She slowly pulled her shirt off her shoulder and shifted the bandage. “It’s still there. No miracle recovery, Caleb.”

“The doctors will think it’s one. We accomplished three weeks’ worth of healing in the last three hours.” He headed for the door. “Now go wash your face while I go round up a doctor or two to give you the once-over.”

“Do you think it really worked, Caleb?”

“It worked. Once you get on your feet and start moving, you’ll know that it did.” He glanced back over his shoulder. “And you may feel a little strange for a while, but you’ll get used to it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Your blood has become … accustomed to responding to me. It may continue to have a residual effect on your body responses. We were together for a long time. Action and reaction.”

“You didn’t say there would be any long-term effects.”

“I didn’t, did I? I wasn’t really sure, but there was always that possibility. We’ll have to work through it ourselves.” He smiled slyly. “I wouldn’t mention that to Trevor. It might make him feel a little … excluded.”

She stared at him in astonishment, then understood. He hadn’t liked it one bit when she had told him that Trevor had reminded her of Cira’s lover, Anthony. It somehow made her closer to Trevor in his eyes. This was a little payback.

She said softly, “Why, you bastard.”

She heard him laugh as he walked out the door.

Southern Colorado

“IT’S ABOUT TIME YOU
answered your phone,” Venable said sourly.

“How was I supposed to know it was you until you unblocked your caller ID.” Kendra glanced over at Margaret, who was asleep in the passenger seat. They had passed construction sites and several wailing sirens on their trip down to southern Colorado, but she hadn’t stirred. A simple phone conversation was unlikely to wake her. “I don’t pick up for just anyone.”

“I’m honored,” he said sarcastically. “But I believe you might have suspected I’d be calling. And I know that Jane MacGuire must have been trying to reach you. She was very upset when she heard about what was happening at Goldfork.”

“Then you shouldn’t have told her, dammit.”

“And I’ll bet you haven’t answered her calls, either.”

He was right. Kendra had wanted to put off talking to anyone until she absolutely had to do it. She had to sift through the events of the past hours and decide what she could reveal. She hated lies, and deceit was just that in her eyes. “How was I to know that you’d bring Jane into this? Quinn wouldn’t want her to be disturbed.”

“Disturbed? We have a lot of questions about what went down in Goldfork. A lot of people are upset that you decided to flee the scene, especially since you left behind a dead cop in the driveway.”

“A man tried to kill us up there in Goldfork. Excuse me for not wanting to stick around.”

“Who?”

“Blick.”

“Are you sure?”

“Margaret is sure.”

“Margaret Douglas is with you? We had reports of a woman of her description in the neighborhood but no confirmation.”

“She got to Goldfork even before I did. She recognized Blick from the photo in the dossier you gave to Quinn and Jane. I take it that he hasn’t been apprehended?”

“No sign of him. When did you last see him?”